Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Wonderful Year

Watching the Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C, also known as Wolves, has been nothing short of inspirational lately. The team has had one of the most incredible seasons in recent memory, culminating with them being promoted to the Premier League. The astonishing success can almost be likened to a sports film about an underdog team, somehow managing to defy all odds and prove that they can overcome any obstacle put in their path.

How has this incredible success been achieved? Furthermore, is the controversy around the success warranted, given that many are calling foul, and claiming that the team has improved leaps and bounds due to methods that are unfair.

What Turned The Tables?

There are many opinions as to what makes a football team stand apart from the rest. Amazing players, some will say. Others will say that a team can have the best players in the world, and still fall short. What it really comes down to is a sound tactical approach.

This brings us to Nuno Santo. When he was first introduced as the new head coach of Wolves, many would have been scratching their heads, asking who exactly he was. But in the course of a single year, Nuno played his part in transforming Wolves into a force to be reckoned with.

Once a goalkeeper for Portugal, Nuno stepped in, took control, and silenced every mouth that had doubted him. If anything, the naysayers are now likely hitting the online gambling NZ sites, and putting bets on the team to come up champions in the Premier League.

Tactical Genius

Source: Sports Mancs

The key to his success? Simple; he is an incredible organiser. Wolves have stuck to an extremely rigid play style, which perhaps isn’t too adventurous, but gets the job done when it needs to be. Of that there can be no question. Every player in the 3-4-3 formation knew their position, and played it like the back of their hand. When a replacement was needed, that player likewise knew the position they would be taking, and how to make the best of it.

Though, Nuno is not just a professional at organising, he is also one of the best at managing players. Combine these two strengths, apply them to an eager team, and the results speak for themselves. Simply put; there are few teams that resemble a well-oiled machine more than Wolves right now.

The Controversy

But there is more to this story than Nuno and his excellent work. Wolves have not had an amazing season without a bit of controversy. The team were bought for a cool £45 million in July 2016 by Fosun International, a Chinese international conglomerate and investment company. It then became apparent that the new chairman, Jeff Shi, appointed on behalf of Fosun, was getting advice from Jorge Mendes. Mendes is the so-called “super-agent” whose clients include Cristiano Ronaldo, and the man has not been without previous controversy.

Andrea Radrizzani, chairman of Leeds, called the connection between Shi and Mendes highly questionable and unfair. This was echoed by Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce, who drew attention to the many big money deals the Wolves had made for star players, calling for more scrutiny on the team’s system. In short, Bruce wanted to know if it fell within the established rules.

The response from Shi has been, of course, that everything has been done within the rules. Still, many are not satisfied, and perhaps think the success of Wolverhampton Wanderers is a little too good to be true. Either way, with their promotion to the Premier League, the world will be seeing a great deal more of this now world-class football team.